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Death of Carnesville baby remains under investigation

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent returned to Franklin County on Wednesday as law enforcement officers continue to scrutinize how an infant received fatal injuries to the head.

“Somebody had something to do with that injury,” said GBI Assistant Agent in Charge Jesse Maddox. “A 2-month-old cannot injure himself in that way.

“We’ve had our doctors give us an opinion, and the doctors at Egleston (Childrens Hospital in Atlanta) provided opinions, and we’re trying to act on those the best we can.”

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has not released the name of the child, who lived at a Carnesville address.

Deputies and medics were summoned to the house on Jan. 9 and the seriously injured baby was transported to Egleston. The baby was on life support until Jan. 17, when he was pronounced dead, Maddox said.

The infant was buried Tuesday, Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas said this week.

“There are a lot of pieces to that puzzle we’ve got to put together,” Maddox said of the death investigation. “It’s a very, very unfortunate type of situation.”

Franklin County Deputy Coroner Kenny Smith said Wednesday that after the child died the body was taken to the State Crime Lab for an autopsy. The infant boy was 12 weeks and four days old, he said.

“Other than that I can’t comment on the details,” Smith said. “It’s tragic.”